Stapling gun



Dec. 1, 1964 E. D. PRIEST 3,158,870

STAPLING GUN Filed Oct. 12, 1962 FIG. 3.

FIG. 2.

FIG. 4.

EDWARD D. PR/E$T INVENTOR United States Patent 3,153,879 STAPLING GUN Edward D. Priest, Southhoro, Mass, assignor to Parker Mfg. Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed 6st. 12, 1952, Ser. No. 239,163 1 Claim. (GIL-251)) The invention relates to a stapling gun and, more particularly, to apparatus arranged to drive staples for fastening and like purposes.

According to common practice, a stapling gun is provided with a spring-loaded hammer which drives a wire staple. The hammer is retracted against spring pressure by a hammer lifter which, at the upper end of the retraction stroke, releases the hammer. The staples are spring-biased along a staple guide by a follower so that the staples arrive, one by one, in the area of a staple-driving blade associated with the staple hammer. It is desirable, from a sales point of view, to provide the stapling gun with a set of staples already loaded in the gun. This not only provides a pleasant surprise for the customer but also shows him how the staples are loaded. However, when such stapling guns are exhibited for sale, it is com mon practice, due to human nature, for the customer to pick up the stapling gun and press the trigger several times. If the gun contains staples, they will be driven from the gun with considerable force, thus presenting a dangerous situation. These and other difiiculties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a stapling gun which may be exhibited in stores with a load of staples without danger of injury to the customers or liability to the storekeeper.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a safety member for use in a stapling gun which may be readily removed by the purchaser of the gun before use of the gun.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a safety member for use in a stapling gun, which safety member is inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claim appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view with portions broken away of a stapling gun embodying the principles of the present invention,

Fl. 2 is an end view of a safety member forming a part of the stapling gun,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the safety member, and

FIG. 4 is a view of the safety member taken from below.

Referring first to PEG. 1, wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, the stapling gun, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is formed with two spaced parallel side frames 11 and 12 which are embraced along corresponding normally-vertical straight edges by a U-shaped front frame 13. The side "rames are held in spaced parallel relationship by a frame channel 14 running along corresponding bottom edges and the unit is provided with a base 16. A staple guide 17 is located within the frame channel 14. A plastic handle 1-3 is located between the side frames. An actuating handle 19 is pivoted between the side frames on a pivot pin 21 and a shield 22 is mounted on the handle. A lock loop 23 is pivoted on the side frame and is adapted to engage a slot 24 formed in the handle. A hammer 25 3,158,870 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 is located between the side frames within the front frame 13 and is provided with a staple-driving blade 26 fastened thereto and resting against the bight of the U-shaped front frame 13. A spring guide roller 27 is mounted within the stable guide 17 and is rotatably supported on a spring guide roller pin 28. A hammer lifter 29 is mounted on a pivot pin and acts as a lever between the side frames 11 and 12 and between downwardly-depending flanges formed on the handle 19. A latch 33 is mounted on the outside of each of the side frames by means of a pivot pin 34. A staple follower 32 is mounted on the staple guide 17. The staple follower 32 is slidably mounted within the frame channel 14 by means of slide rivets 35 riding in a slot in the channel. A hammer spring (not shown) rests in an upwardly-directed recess in the top of the hammer 25. Between the side frames 11 and 12 and within the front frame 13 is also mounted a cap member 37. A staple feed spring 33 is mounted within the staple guide 17 and has one end attached to a hinge pin 39, while the other end is attached to the staple follower 32. A rubber bumper 41 is mounted on the upper side of the frame channel 14 and underlies the hammer 25.

A rivet 42 extends through the side flanges of the front frame 13 and through the cap member 37. Sliding over the staple guide 17 and pressed at one end by the staple follower 32 is a set of staples 15. Between the other side of these staples and the'bight of the front frame 13 is a safety member 31. p

In FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, it can be seen that the safety member 31 is formed of sheet metal, preferably aluminum or some other non-rusting sheet material. It is provided with a main body 36 which is rectangular and fiat and is normally located horizontally on the staple guide 17. At the end of the main body adjacent the staple driving blade 26 it is provided with downwardly-depending arms 43 and 44. These arms are generally a rectangle but are provided with a small portion which extends beyond the end of the main'body 36. Each of these portions is provided with an upper edge 45 which is upwardly inclined toward the main body. The projection of this edge 45 on a horizontal plane has a length slightly larger than the thickness of the staple driving blade 25. It should be noted that the staple guide 17 is U-shaped in cross section and the web of the U lies against the base 16 of the stapling gun, while the flanges or legs extend upwardly along the inner surface of the side members 11 and 12. The safety member 31, the set of staples 15, and the staple follower 32 all rest on the top edges and slide along the sides of these side flanges of the staple guide.

The operation of the invention Will now be readily understood in view of the above description. In the practice of thepresent invention, the set of staples 15 and the safety member 31 would be inserted in the gun during manufacture. Normally, the gun is fired by squeezing the handle 19 toward the plastic handle 18 causing the hammer 25 to be lifted vertically and then released. When this happens, the driving blade 26 descends with considerable force and strikes a staple which lies against the bight of the front frame 13, the travel of the hammer 25 being stopped by the rubber-bumper 41. If a prospective customer, while examining a conventional stapling gun, tries it out, a staple may be fired into the air with considerable force, and, if it happens to be pointed toward a person, may strike him and cause injury. With a stapling gun built according to the present invention, if the customer fires the gun, the downwardly-descending blade 26 will strike the inclined upper edges 45 of the arms 43 and 44 and this will cam the safety member to staples 15 and the follower 32 tothe right, also. The

blade 26 will theureside between theouter edge of the ahead 44 and the bigh't of the m frame 13, as.

is shown in FIG. 1. It will be understood that the purchaser of the stapling gun, when he arrives home and Wishes to use the gun, will simply open the gun by use of the latch 33 which permits 7 the base 16 to pivot about the hinge pin 39, thus exposing the staple guide, staples, and safety member 31. The safety member is then removed and the, stapling gunreassembled. At that time, the follower 32 will press the staples '15 all the way over to the left, so that the outermost staple will be struck by the blade 26 in its next'downward motion. The safety member may be saved by the purchaser of the stapling'gun and used later'to prevent children from hurting themselves with the gun.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction .of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, What is claimed as new and desired to secure by- Letters Patent, is:

A safety member for use in a stapling gun having an I elongated staple guide formed with a flat horizontal web a fiat main body which lies against the surface of the web and downwardly depending arms which embrace the flanges, the safety member being adapted to'slide along the guide andoccupy the end portion of the guide adjacent'the blade to preventthe follower fron'rpressmg the staples'into that portion.

No references cited. 

